Farther Than the Moon by Lindsay Lackey

What worked:

Character relationships and interactions often create highlights in middle-grade novels. Houston’s guilt for attending camp without his younger brother eats at him. Houston’s pompous roommate, Maverick, annoys everyone he meets and fills the role of bully. Readers later learn his bravado masks untold insecurities. Houston gets butterflies around a pretty crewmate named Tahmina while Freya, a timid girl he meets first, has issues with sensory overload. George adds enthusiasm to the story while Dongjoo produces a popular podcast. The six crewmates must work together for four weeks to pass Challenges and successfully graduate from the JARP.

The plot is an emotional rollercoaster with readers soaring high from successes, plummeting due to conflicts among the team, and sharp twists as unexpected issues arise. Houston’s experience becomes more complicated when he tells the group his grandfather is the famous astronaut, General Carey Broderick. The statement is true but the two characters have never met or spoken to each other. The situation results from a rift between Houston’s grandfather and mom although readers won’t fully understand the details until late in the story. General Broderick makes a surprising appearance at the camp and the truth about his misleading relationship with Houston is revealed. Houston assumes his teammates are angry and no longer trust him which leads to tension and conflict. The crew may be in danger of failing the JARP.

The author includes ample information about astronauts and space travel. Houston has a list of his favorite astronauts and Freya has her top female astronauts printed on a t-shirt. Grandpa tells Houston about Saturn rockets that powered missions into space and shares how his most famous spacewalk was complicated by mishaps. Houston and his crew are constantly reminded their crew comes first as they complete tasks based on space missions. They replicate the near-disaster of Apollo 13 by creating an object from a pile of parts without having any pieces left over. There are opportunities in every chapter for the author to include space trivia.

What didn’t work as well:

There are moments when the narrative becomes informative and some readers may feel it’s too much. However, the author smoothly melds the space facts into the story so it’s not really a problem. It’s natural to share information when first arriving at the facility or while touring areas with historical displays.

The final verdict:

This book is perfect for space lovers, especially those with an interest in astronauts. It’s a sensitive, heart-warming tale of Houston’s love for his brother and how he finds unexpected support from new friends. Overall, this story will appeal to a wide range of readers and I recommend you give it a shot.